Counter top and support means therefor

ABSTRACT

The vertical walls of a sheet metal cabinet comprise front and back members each having a generally U-shaped horizontal cross-section and side members connected between the U-shaped front and back members. The wall members are connected by interengaging slots and tabs on inwardly extending abutting flanges. One flange of each pair of abutting flanges is provided with a series of slots which serve to support shelves within the cabinet. Gussets located at the corners of the cabinet serve to secure legs to the cabinet and also to prevent disengagement of the wall members by locking the wall members against relative vertical movement. A counter top is secured to inwardly extending flanges at the upper edges of the cabinet walls by clamps which bear downwardly on upwardly facing surfaces secured to and spaced below the counter top. The clamps are secured to the flanges of the wall by screws the shanks of which press upwardly against the underside of the top.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to sheet metal furniture, and particularly tocabinets and counters or combinations thereof adapted for use at thecheck-out location of a convenience store. A typical combination cabinetand counter designed for use in a convenience store comprises a storagecabinet having four generally rectangular vertical walls with a countertop secured to the upper edges of the cabinet walls. One of the verticalwalls is typically provided with doors for access to the interior of thecabinet, and a series of removable shelves is provided within thecabinet for the storage of merchandise or other articles. In order tofacilitate cleaning of the floor of the store, the cabinet is desirablyprovided with legs arranged so that the bottom of the cabinet is locatedsome distance above the floor.

Among the general requirements for sheet metal cabinets adapted forconvenience store use are ease of assembly and the ability to withstandabuse. In the case of cabinets which are shipped by the manufacturer ina fully assembled condition, ease of assembly is important in order tokeep manufacturing costs low. In the case of cabinets which are shippedin a knocked-down condition and assembled on site by the customer, easeof assembly is important because assembly is frequently carried out byuntrained personnel. Cabinets used in convenience stores, and especiallycabinets having counter tops are subject to abuse both by customers andstore personnel. The counter tops in particular are subject to varyingloads, pounding, etc., all of which tend to loosen the connectionbetween the counter and its supports.

It is a general object of the invention to provide an article offurniture meeting the above requirements more inexpensively and moresatisfactorily than similar articles available heretofore.

Specific problems arise in securing counter tops to storage cabinets orother sheet metal supports aside from the problem of loosening of theinterconnections from abuse. For example, the possibility of bending ofmetal parts under heavy loads has in the past required special strength.It is frequently desirable to provide a counter top which overhangs oneor more of the walls of the cabinet, and the overhang presents specialproblems in securing the top adequately to its support. Therefore, it isalso an object of the invention to provide simple but effective meansfor firmly securing a counter top to its support, which resists theloosening of the interconnection of the top resultant from abuse, whichdoes not require expensive modifications in the construction of thecounter top itself, and which allows for an overhanging counter top.

Problems also arise in the design of the cabinet structure. Strengthrequirements and the need to support removable shelves have in the pastnecessitated the use of excessively heavy parts and reinforcements, andhave generally resulted in excessively complex and expensive structures.Therefore, another object of the invention is to provide a sheet metalcabinet which is strong and durable, yet relatively light in weight,simple, inexpensive and easy to assemble.

The problems relating to the securing of the counter top to its supportare solved in accordance with the invention by the use of a novelclamping arrangement in which the counter top is held down by one ormore clamping elements secured to flanges on the supports by upwardlyextending screws, and in which the upper ends of the screws bear againstthe underside of the top. Since downward forces acting on the countertop are transferred to the support elements through the screws, theconnections between the counter top and the support are unlikely toloosen by reason of varying loads or pounding on the counter top. As thescrews form the principal bearing surfaces for the counter top, the topcan overhang one or more of the walls of a cabinet on which it issupported while being securely held to the cabinet. The screws hold theclamping elements tightly against the support flanges and at the sametime press upwardly against the underside of the counter top. The factthat the screws press upwardly against the top makes it practicallyimpossible for the screws to loosen as a result of vibration of the top.

The problems relating to the cabinet design are solved in accordancewith the invention by forming the walls from a U-shaped front memberhaving two integral rearwardly extending side elements, a U-shaped backmember having two integral forwardly extending side elements and sidemembers connected between the side elements of the front and backmembers. The interconnections are made by interengaging slots and tabson inwardly extending abutting flanges. One flange of each pair ofabutting flanges is provided with a series of slots for supportingshelves, thereby eliminating the need for separate shelf-supportingelements. Gussets located at the corners of the cabinet serve to securelegs to the cabinet and also to prevent disengagement of the wall memberby locking the wall member against relative vertical movement. Thegussets further serve as reinforcements for the corners of the cabinet.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a cabinet which can beshipped, in a knocked-down condition, in a package of relatively smallsize.

Still another object of the invention is to facilitate fast delivery ofcabinets of various types and sizes to customers by the standardizationof cabinet components.

Various objects and advantages of the invention other than thosediscussed above will be apparent from the following detailed descriptionwhen read in conjunction with the drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an oblique perspective view of an article of furniture inaccordance with the invention comprising a sheet metal cabinet with acounter top supported on it;

FIG. 2 is a vertical section taken on the plane 2--2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a horizontal section of the cabinet taken on the plane 3--3 ofFIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary horizontal section taken on the plane 4--4 ofFIG. 2, illustrating two of the four corner gussets at the bottom of thecabinet;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary horizontal section taken on the surface 5--5 ofFIG. 2, illustrating the details of the interconnections between cabinetwall members and also illustrating the manner in which a removable shelfis supported in the cabinet;

FIG. 6 is a vertical section on the plane 6--6 of FIG. 2, furtherillustrating the manner in which a removable shelf is supported in thecabinet;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary oblique perspective showing the details of asupporting tab at the edge of a shelf;

FIG. 8 is a vertical section taken on the plane 8--8 of FIG. 2,illustrating the interconnection between cabinet wall members;

FIG. 9 is a vertical section taken on the plane 9--9 of FIG. 2,illustrating the manner in which a counter top is secured to the cabinetat the top of the rear wall;

FIG. 10 is a vertical section illustrating the manner in which the samecounter top is secured to the cabinet at the upper edge of a side wall;

FIG. 11 is a bottom plan view illustrating a cabinet leg and cornergusset;

FIG. 12 is an oblique perspective view of a corner gusset with a cabinetleg attached;

FIG. 13 is a vertical section illustrating the manner in which analternative version of the counter top is secured to the cabinet alongthe top edge of the rear of the cabinet; and

FIG. 14 is a vertical section illustrating the manner in which the samecounter top is secured to the cabinet along the top edge of a side ofthe cabinet.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In FIG. 1, the front wall 16, and a side wall 18 of the cabinet areseen. The front wall comprises a pair of doors 20 and 22 mounted in aframe 24 on hinges 26, 28, 30 and 32. Side wall 18 comprises elements34, 36 and 38. Element 34 is integral with the frame of the front wall,and extends rearwardly from the front wall through a distance which istypically about nine centimeters. Element 36 is integral with the rearwall (not shown in FIG. 1), and extends forwardly in the plane of sidewall 18 through a similar distance. Element 38 of the side wall meetselements 34 and 36 respectively at vertical lines 40 and 42.

The cabinet is provided with a top 44, which is secured to the upperedges of the cabinet walls. Top 44 comprises a rectangular,vinyl-covered particle board 46, which is provided with a metallic trimalong its edges. The trim is made of extruded aluminum, and comprisestwo similar U-shaped trim elements 48 and 50. The ends of the trimelements meet along the front and rear edges of the top in the versionof the top shown in FIG. 1. However, in an alternative arrangement, theends of the trim elements can meet each other along the sides of thetop.

The cabinet of FIG. 1 is also provided with legs, three of which areindicated at 52, 54 and 56. A fourth leg of the cabinet is not shown inFIG. 1.

The arrangement of wall elements and their interconnections is shown inFIG. 3. At the rear of the cabinet, opposite the doors, a rear wall 58is provided. A forwardly extending element 60, similar to element 36,and integral with rear wall 58 forms a part of the left side wall 62.The left side wall also comprises a rearwardly extending element 64,which is integral with front wall frame 24, and a side wall element 66,which meets side wall elements 60 and 64 so that left-hand side wall 62is similar to right-hand side wall 18.

As shown in FIG. 5, side wall element 66 is provided with flanges 68 and70, which extend inwardly from its opposite vertical edges in adirection perpendicular to the plane of the side wall. Flange 68 is inabutment with a flange 72, which is integral with and extends inwardlyfrom side wall element 60. Likewise, flange 70 is in abutment withinwardly extending flange 74 of side wall element 64.

The abutting flanges are connected to each other by a series ofinterengaging slots and tabs, the tabs being struck out from flanges 68and 70 of side wall element 66, and the slots being provided in flanges72 and 74. One such interconnection is illustrated in FIG. 8, in whichstruck out tab 76 of flange 70 is shown extending through slot 78 offlange 74, and downwardly along the opposite side of flange 74 so thatthe elements are held together. The height of slot 78 is just slightlygreater than the height of tab 76, so that engagement of the abuttingflanges 70 and 74 can be achieved readily by moving them togetherhorizontally so that the tabs enter the slots, and then locking theflanges together by relative vertical movement so that the tabs andslots are engaged as shown in FIG. 8. It should be noted at this pointthat the struck out tabs could be provided on flanges 74 and 72, and theslots on flanges 68 and 70 to achieve the same result. As a furtheralternative, each of a pair of abutting flanges can be provided withboth slots and tabs, if the tabs on the respective elements extendvertically in opposite directions.

As seen in FIG. 3, elements 34, 36 and 38 of side wall 18 areinterconnected in a similar manner.

From FIG. 4, it will be apparent that rearwardly extending side wallelements 34 and 64 are integral with the vertically extending elementsof the door frame 24, but that the bottom horizontal frame element 80 iswelded to the vertical frame elements. Horizontal element 80 is providedwith an inwardly extending horizontal flange 82, which extendssubstantially the full width of the cabinet at the lower edge of thefront wall. The lower edges of side wall elements 64 and 34 are alsoprovided with integral, inwardly extending flanges 84 and 86respectively. Side wall elements 66 and 38 respectively have inwardlyextending flanges 88 and 90 provided at their lower edges. Flange 82does not overlap flanges 84 and 86, but rather all three flanges aresituated in the same plane, flanges 84 and 86 being cut out at theirforward ends to provide space for flange 82. When the interengagingslots and tabs of the side wall elements are properly connectedtogether, flanges 88 and 90 are situated substantially in the same planeas flanges 82, 84 and 86.

FIG. 12 illustrates in detail an assembly comprising leg 56 and atriangular gusset 92. The leg is attached to the underside of gusset 92by means of bolts, the bolts extending through a flange provided at theupper end of the leg as shown in FIG. 11. Gusset 92 is provided alongone edge with a reinforcing flange 94. Integral, upwardly extending tabs96 and 98 are provided along one of the remaining edges of the gusset,and similar upwardly extending tabs 100 and 102 are provided at theother of the remaining edges. The latter edges are also providedrespectively with bolt holes 104 and 106.

When the gusset is in place, as illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 11, tab 98,which is rectangular in its configuration extends upwardly through aconforming rectangular opening in flange 88 of side wall element 66. Tab96 extends upwardly through a similar opening in flange 84 of side wallelement 64, and tabs 100 and 102 extend upwardly through rectangularopenings in flange 82 of the front wall. The openings through whichthese tabs extend are preferably made to conform closely to the size ofthe tabs so that the gusset can serve effectively as a brace for theleft front corner of the cabinet. Gusset plate 92 is secured to flange88 by bolt 108 and to flange 82 by bolt 110.

As will be apparent from FIG. 4, gusset plate 112 is secured to flanges82, 86 and 90 in a similar manner. Similar gussets are provided at therear corners of the cabinet, and are secured respectively to flanges 88and 90 of side wall members 66 and 38, and to an inwardly extendingflange 114 (FIG. 3) at the lower edge of rear wall 58, flange 114 beingsimilar to flange 82 at the lower edge of the front wall.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that the four gusset platesserve three functions simultaneously: they reinforce the corners of thecabinet; they secure the cabinet to the legs; and, most importantly,they lock the side wall elements against relative vertical movement,thereby preventing the tabs and slots on the abutting flanges of theside wall elements from becoming disengaged. The structure justdescribed is highly advantageous from the standpoint of strength andlightness in weight. It is also highly advantageous from the standpointof simplicity, in that it requires a relatively small number of parts.Another significant advantage of the structure, arising by reason of themanner in which the wall elements are secured together, is the pleasingesthetic appearance of the cabinet, and the absence of fasteners visiblefrom the exterior of the cabinet.

The shelving in the cabinet, as seen in FIG. 2 comprises a floor 116,which rests on the inwardly extending flanges at the bottom of thecabinet, and a series of removable shelves comprising shelves 118 and120. As shown in FIG. 3, floor plate 116 is provided with slots 122,124, 126 and 128 along its sides to clear the abutting flanges of theside wall elements.

As shown in FIG. 5, flange 72 of side wall element 60 extends inwardlybeyond the vertical edge of flange 68, and is bent rearwardly at 130 forreinforcement. In a similar manner, flange 74 of side wall element 64extends inwardly beyond the vertical edge of flange 70, and is bentrearwardly at 132. The corresponding flanges on the opposite side wallare similarly configured, as shown in FIG. 3. Shelf-supporting slots areprovided in the inwardly extending portions of flanges 72 and 74 whichextend beyond flanges 68 and 70. Shelf-supporting slots in flange 74 areindicated in FIG. 2 at 134, 136, 138, 140, 142 and 143. These slots arearranged in a vertical row along flange 74. Corresponding slots areprovided in flange 72, and in the flanges on the opposite side wallcorresponding to flanges 72 and 74.

As shown in FIG. 7, a shelf support hook 144 is spot-welded or otherwisesuitably secured to a depending flange 146 along the left-hand edge ofshelf 118. Shelf support hook 144 is made from sheet metal, andcomprises a first part 148, which is in engagement with flange 146 and asecond part 140 which is integrally connected with part 148 by a bentportion 152. For the most part, part 150 extends rearwardly from bentpart 152 in a direction parallel to flange 146, and is spaced fromflange 146 by a short distance. Desirably, part 150 is provided with anoutwardly extending camming element 154 to facilitate entry of element150 into the shelf-supporting slots. Lower edge 156 of part 152 isslotted at 158 so that it provides what is in effect a hook adapted toengage a shelf-supporting slot in the manner illustrated in FIG. 6, inwhich slot 158 of hook 144 is shown in engagement with the lower edge ofslot 142 of flange 74.

As shown in FIG. 3, each of the side edges of each shelf is providedwith two rearwardly extending hooks similar to hook 144, the hooks oneach side being spaced from each other by a distance equal to thespacing between the shelf-supporting flanges. Thus, the shelves can beeasily removed and repositioned or replaced within the cabinet.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that another advantage arisingfrom the manner in which the wall elements are secured together is thatthe shelves are supported on the same wall element flanges which serveto secure the wall elements together. The shelf-supporting flanges,which extend inwardly from the side walls of the cabinet can be used notonly to support stationary shelves, as shown, but can also be used tosupport guides for specialized shelves such as sliding shelves, drawersand the like. Tilted shelves for gravity feed of cigarette packs andsimilar articles can also be supported in the cabinet, with the rearhooks of the shelves located in slots higher than those in which thefront hooks are located. While it is preferred that the shelf-supportingslots be in the flanges of the side wall elements which extendrearwardly from the front wall and forwardly from the rear wall, theshelf-supporting slots can be formed alternatively in the flanges of themain side wall elements 38 and 66, or they can be formed in both flangesof an abutting pair if desired, though the latter modification may giverise to problems in the alignment of slots.

The cabinet is readily assembled by arranging front wall 16 and rearwall 58 in the desired relationship, engaging side walls 18 and 62 withthe front and rear walls by moving the tabs of the side wallshorizontally into the slots of the front and rear walls, andsubsequently pushing the side walls downwardly to engage the tabs withthe slots. The gussets are then installed at the corners of the cabinet,the counter top is secured at the top of the cabinet, and the shelvesare then installed in the desired positions within the cabinet. Theentire assembly procedure can be accomplished in a very short timebecause of the simplicity of the structure, the small number of parts,and the relatively small number of fasteners required.

Various elements of the cabinet such as the side walls, the gussets, thelegs, and certain other items can be used as standard elements forcabinets of various widths. These elements can be manufactured in largequantities and stored for use in the assembly of cabinets of varioustypes and sizes. Thus, the needs of a particular customers can be filledin a short period of time by specially manufacturing certain parts suchas the front wall assembly and the doors, and combining these specialparts with the standard components to produce a complete cabinet.

The cabinet wall structure in particular lends itself to shipment in aknock-down condition in a package of relatively small size, since theU-shaped front and rear wall members can be brought together to form apocket, and the side wall members, having a lesser width than the frontand rear wall members, can be positioned in the pocket along withvarious other parts of the assembly to produce a relatively densepackage which can be shipped at low costs.

Turning to the manner in which the counter top is secured to the upperedges of the cabinet walls, FIGS. 9 and 10 show one version of a countertop comprising a particular board 46 having a vinyl covering 160.Vinyl-covered particle boards of this type are well-known in the art,and are in common use as table tops, counter tops and the like. Theparticle board is provided with extruded aluminum trim elements 48 and50. As shown in FIG. 9, which illustrates the rear edge of the countertop, trim element 48 comprises a vertical section 162, the upper edge164 of which is aligned with vinyl covering 160. A horizontal element166 extends inwardly in a perpendicular direction from vertical element162, and is located at a distance below upper edge 164 equal to thethickness of the vinyl-covered particle board. Element 166 is inengagement with the underside of the particle board, and provides asupporting surface. The particle board is secured to element 166 by aseries of screws, one of which is indicated at 168. Element 166 also hasa depending flange 170, spaced inwardly from, and extending in parallelrelation to, vertical trim element 162.

At the lower edge of vertical trim element 162, there is provided aninwardly extending flange 172, which has a hump 174 on its uppersurface. Hump 174 extends substantially the full length of the trimelement in a direction parallel to the length of the trim element, andis spaced a short distance inwardly from vertical section 162.

As the trim elements 48 and 50 are U-shaped, as indicated in FIG. 1, itwill be apparent that they are formed by extrusion as straight elements,and subsequently bent into the U-shape as shown. In order to accomplishthe bending, wedge-shaped sections are cut out of elements 166 and 172at the corners where bending takes place.

All of the upper edges of the wall elements of the cabinet have inwardlyextending flanges. The flange for rear wall 58 is indicated at 176. Abolt 178 extends upwardly through a hole in flange 176, and the end ofthe bolt opposite its head 180 engages the underside of horizontal trimelement 166. A sheet metal clamping strip 182 comprises a horizontalsection 184, which rests on the upper surface of flange 176. A threadedinsert 186, which is secured in a hole in section 184 by peening,receives bolt 178, and the threads of the bolt, in cooperation with theinternal threads of insert 186, secure section 184 of the clamping striptightly against flange 176. Clamping strip 182 includes a verticallyextending section 188, an outward horizontally extending section 190,and a sloping end section 192, the latter being positioned to engagehump 174. By virtue of the engagement between sloping section 192 andhump 174, the clamping strips acts as a hold-down device for trimelement 48, thereby preventing the counter top from being lifted awayfrom the cabinet.

As indicated in FIG. 2, the clamping strip extends substantially theentire width of the cabinet, and is secured to the flange of the rearwall of the cabinet by two bolts, one bolt being bolt 178. Of course,any desired number of bolts can be used.

As will be apparent from FIG. 9, the counter top overhangs wall 58 by ashort distance, and trim flange 172 extends inwardly from vertical trimelement 162 to a location just beyond the upper edge of wall 158. Thepresence of flange 172 facilitates cleaning of the cabinet by preventingthe existence of a crevice in which dirt can accumulate.

The length of bolt 178 is related to the dimensions of the trim and ofthe clamping strip so that, when the bolt is tightened in threadedinsert 186 and clamping strip is held tightly against flange 176, theend of the bolt opposite the head presses upwardly against the undersideof trim element 166 and urges hump 174 of trim element 172 upwardlyagainst sloping clamp section 192. Preferably, the length of bolt 178 issuch that, when it is tightened, it causes flange 176 of the cabinetwall to be pushed downwardly through a short distance, so that flange176 is in tension. Bolt 178, and its corresponding bolts elsewhereunderneath the counter top, support substantially the entire weight ofthe top and the articles on it. Clamping strip 182, and correspondingclamping strips along the other three edges of the cabinet serve to holdthe counter top down. As a result of the arrangement shown in FIG. 9, itwill be apparent that one of the principal advantages of the hold-downarrangement is that it securely fastens the counter top to the cabinetin a relatively simple manner despite the fact that the counter topoverhangs the wall of the cabinet by a considerable distance. Becauseclamping strip 182 is used, there is no need to rely upon the entirewidth of flange 172 of the extrusion as a means for holding down thetop. Furthermore, since the top rests on bolt 178 and the other boltswhich correspond to it, it is unnecessary to make special provisions inthe cabinet wall structure for supporting the underside of the top. Byusing bolts of the proper length, the bolts themselves can be used asthe counter top supporting elements.

Another advantage which arises by virtue of the fact that the top restsupon the ends of the bolts is that downward forces on the top, whichwould normally tend to loosen the hold-down clamp, act through the bolt,and press downwardly on support flange 176. Since hump 174 is pulled upagainst clamp section 192 by the bolt itself, downward forces acting onthe counter top do not tend to loosen the engagement between the clampand the trim element.

Another advantage of the hold-down arrangement is that the boltsthemselves are held tightly against trim element 166 by the tension inflange 176. This reduces the likelihood of any of the bolts workingloose by reason of vibration.

Finally, when the hold-down arrangement is used with an overhanging topcomprising a metal-trimmed particle board, the hold-down arrangement hasthe advantage that it prevents downward forces acting on the counter topfrom causing the trim to pull away from the particle board. The mannerin which this is achieved will be appreciated by observing that if bolt178 was a short bolt, and merely secured clamp 182 to flange 176, andthe top were supported by the engagement of trim element 172 with theupper edge of wall 58, downward forces acting on the top would produce apivoting action at the upper edge of wall 58 which would tend to pulltrim element 48 away from particle board 46. Screws such as screw 168could not be relied upon to prevent this from occurring, as mostparticle boards are sufficiently soft that screws can be pulled out ofthem easily. Since the support for the trim is provided by the end ofbolt 178 rather than directly by the upper edge of wall 58, the pivotingaction which would tend to pull the trim away from the particle boarddoes not take place. Further assurance against such pivoting action isprovided by flange 170, which is preferably positioned so that it isengaged by the side of bolt 178 when the bolt is tightened in threadedinsert 186. Flange 170 provides positive assurance against pivoting ofthe trim. Furthermore, as the bolt is tightened, and flange 176 ispressed downwardly, the upper end of bolt 178 moves to the right againstflange 170, thereby locking the vertical trim element 162 against theedge of particle board 46. This not only prevents separation of the trimfrom the particle board, but also locks the counter top againsthorizontal movement to the left. When all of the bolts corresponding tobolt 178 are tightened, the counter top is securely locked againsthorizontal movement.

The metal-trimmed vinyl-covered particle board top overhangs the frontof the cabinet, and is secured to the upper of the front of the cabinetin a manner similar to the manner in which it is secured to the upperedge of the rear wall of the cabinet, as shown in FIG. 9.

Along the sides of the cabinet, the trim is flush with the cabinet wallsas shown in FIG. 10. However, the counter top is secured to the cabinetalong the upper edges of the side walls in a manner similar to themanner in which it is secured at the front and rear walls. A clampingstrip 194 is secured to flange 196 of wall 38 by a bolt 198, the upperend of which presses upwardly against horizontal element 200 of thetrim. A depending flange 202 of clamping strip 194 is positioned againstthe inner edge of wall flange 196, and insures the flush relationshipbetween trim 50 and cabinet wall element 38. A similar hold-downarrangement is provided on the opposite side of the cabinet. Theclamping strips along the side walls are secured to the side wallflanges by bolts which are located midway between the front and rearwalls of the cabinet, a single bolt being provided at each side. Theside wall clamping strips, including strip 194 and its correspondingclamping strip on the other side, do not extend the full depth of thecabinet, but rather provide clearance for the front and rear clampingstrips.

Although there is no overhang along the side walls, and no tendency ofthe trim to separate from the particle board, the clamping arrangementat the upper edges of the side walls serve to prevent loosening of theengagement between the clamp and the trim, and loosening of the bolts inthe same manner as described above with reference to FIG. 9.

As shown in FIG. 9, sloping end section 192 of clamping strip 182overlaps hump 174 in the vertical direction and thereby prevents countertop 44 from moving toward the left. Similar overlapping relationshipsexist on the remaining three sides of the cabinet, and thus the top islocked against horizontal movement.

FIGS. 13 and 14 show an alternative counter top comprising a unitarysheet of stainless steel 204 having a particle board 206 secured to itsunderside. Underneath the particle board, around the periphery thereof,stainless steel strips are provided, one such strip being indicated inFIG. 13 at 208, and another such strip being indicated at 210 in FIG.14.

As shown in FIG. 13, the stainless steel top 204 is bent at edge 212 toprovide a downwardly extending flange 214, and another bend is providedat 216 at the lower edge of the flange to provide an inwardly andupwardly extending flange 218. The stainless steel top is similarly bentalong all four edges.

The angle of flange 218 is desirably such as to conform with the angleof sloping clamp section 192. Strip 208 rests on the upper end of bolt178. Bolt 178 and its corresponding bolts provide the load-bearingsupport for the counter top. The engagement between flange 218 and clampsection 192 holds the top down against the bolts. The hold-downarrangement of FIG. 13 functions in a manner similar to the arrangementof FIG. 9, in that it provides a secure interconnection between the topand the cabinet walls despite the overhanging relationship between thetop and the front and rear walls of the cabinet. Again, the fact thatthe load on the top is transferred to the inwardly extending wallflanges through the bolts minimizes the likelihood of separation betweenthe clamp and the inwardly and upwardly extending flanges correspondingto flange 218. Also, since the bolt bears upwardly against strip 208,assurance is provided against loosening of the bolt as a result ofvibration.

In FIG. 14, the hold-down arrangement is similar to that in FIG. 10. Topflange 220 is flush with side wall element 38, and the flushrelationship is maintained by the engagement of depending flange 202 ofclamp 194 with the inner edge of wall flange 196. Because of the acuteangle between vertical top flange 220 and sloping flange 222, theengagement of bend 224 with the upper edge of side wall element 38cannot be depended upon to support the counter top on wall element 38.Thus, in FIG. 14, the engagement of strip 210 with the upper end of bolt198 is as important to the support of the counter top as it would be ifthe top overhung the side walls of the cabinet.

The hold-down arrangements illustrated in FIGS. 9, 10, 13 and 14 are, ofcourse applicable to the securing of counter tops to various supportsother than cabinets. Further, these hold-down arrangements areapplicable to various forms of counter tops other than thosespecifically illustrated, including counter tops having washbasins,counter tops having condiment bins, and various other forms of tops.Numerous other modifications may be made to the furniture describedherein without departing from the scope of the invention as defined inthe following claims.

I claim:
 1. An article of furniture comprising:a counter top and supportmeans therefor; the counter top having an upwardly facingarticle-supporting surface, first means rigidly secured to the top andproviding a downwardly facing surface, second means rigidly secured tothe top and providing an upwardly facing surface spaced vertically fromand located below the downwardly facing surface, the downwardly facingsurface extending horizontally beyond the upwardly facing surface; thesupport means having a horizontally extending flange, located below thedownwardly facing surface and having a portion which extendshorizontally beyond the upwardly facing surface and underlies thedownwardly facing surface, the flange having an opening for receiving ascrew, and the opening being located in the portion of the flange whichextends beyond the upwardly facing surface and underlies the downwardlyfacing surface; clamp means, positioned above the horizontally extendingflange, having a threaded opening in register with the opening in theflange, and having means overlying and engaging the upwardly facingsurface of the second means; screw means having a head underlying thehorizontally extending flange of the support and a shank extendingthrough the opening in the flange and threaded into the threaded openingof the clamp means, the screw means urging the clamp means downwardlyinto engagement with the upwardly facing surface of the second means andthe end of the shank opposite the head engaging the downwardly facingsurface of the first means and pressing upwardly thereon, thereby urgingthe upwardly facing surface of the second means tightly against theclamp means; and means for securing the clamp means in fixedrelationship to the flange; whereby the counter top is firmly secured tothe support means.
 2. An article of furniture according to claim 1 inwhich the means for securing the clamp means in fixed relationship tothe flange comprises said screw means.
 3. An article of furnitureaccording to claim 1 in which the support means comprises a verticallyextending wall having an upper edge, in which a major portion of saidarticle-supporting surface is located on one side of said wall and aminor portion of said article-supporting surface is located on the otherside of said wall, in which said flange extends horizontally from theupper edge of the wall in the direction toward said one side of thewall, and in which the location at which said upwardly facing surface ofthe second means is engaged by said clamp means is located on said otherside of said wall.
 4. An article of furniture according to claim 3 inwhich said counter top comprises a particle board having a metal trimelement secured to at least one edge thereof, said metal trim elementcomprising a vertical section located along said one edge of theparticle board and extending from the top side of the particle board toa location below the bottom side thereof; in which said first meansproviding a downwardly facing surface is a first horizontal trim flangeintegral with said vertical trim section and located against theunderside of said particle board; in which said second means providingsaid upwardly facing surface is a second horizontal trim flange integralwith said vertical trim section and extending in the same direction fromsaid vertical trim section as does the first howizontal trim flange; andin which said second horizontal trim flange extends from said verticaltrim section at least to the upper edge of said wall and engages theupper edge of the wall.
 5. An article of furniture according to claim 4in which the first horizontal trim flange is provided with an integraldepending flange in engagement with said screw means on the side of saidscrew means facing away from the vertical trim element.
 6. An article offurniture according to claim 1 in which said clamp means and said secondmeans include mutually engaging means, overlapping each other in thevertical direction, for preventing relative movement of said counter topand said support in at least one horizontal direction.